Andy Gray 'contemplated suicide' after Sky Sports sacked him for making sexist remarks

Andy Gray considered killing himself after losing his Sky Sports job following
the Sian Massey sexism row.

Rebuilding his career: Andy Gray is sanguine about his dismissal from his lucrative post at Sky in 2010Photo: REX

By Telegraph staff

3:33PM GMT 06 Mar 2012

The former, Aston Villa and Everton striker was caught on camera, with co-host Richard Keys making sexist remarks and was sacked by Sky for what the channel described as “unacceptable and offensive behaviour”.

The loss of the his job at Sky, said to be worth £1.7million a year, took a heavy toll according to the 56 year-old.

“My job affected so many other people. I’ve got lots of family and friends that I looked after financially because of what I earned. Overnight, I couldn’t look after them any more. “I was on the floor. I’ve never been like that in my life.”

He even thought of killing himself. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t,” admitted Gray in an interview with the LondonEvening Standard.

“I had never felt like I have felt from January 25th [last year] onwards. I watch Sky every day so it’s there in my face, in my home. I’m not one of those who take anything for granted. I used to wake up every morning and say, ‘Thank you Lord for this.’ A bit of the joy has gone.”

He and Keys were caught before a match between Wolves and Liverpool at Molineux in January 2010 saying that Sian Massey and other female assistant referees “didn’t know the offside rule”.

“It happened on a Saturday morning,” recalls Gray. “I got a call on Monday from Andy Melvin [deputy head of Sky Sports] just telling us, ‘Don’t come in today for Monday night football.’”

Gray and Keys were given final warnings but then, as Gray recalls, “It escalated from there for some reason, I’ve no idea why.”

More footage emerged of Gray making sexist remarks about Massey as well an incident recorded a month earlier showing him making a suggestive remark to colleague Charlotte Jackson

Barney Francis, head of Sky Sports, sacked him and the next day Keys met Francis to resign.

“This was a private bit of banter released to the social media and for some reason the press etc tore us apart. I have no problems with a woman referee. It wasn’t a criticism, it was a light-hearted quip.

“I wish I’d never said it and, if I caused Sian any problems, then of course I’m terribly disappointed. Richard phoned her, apologised on our behalf and she said, ‘Don’t be so stupid, guys.’”

And the remarks about Jackson? “Again, it’s probably an old man trying to be funny. It was no more than that. Charlotte knows us very well. For 17 years, my life was a dressing room and everyone who’s been in a dressing room knows what kind of banter goes on.

“It’s a place where you can get ripped apart at times by your fellow players. We had that type of dressing room at Sky where we wanted people to feel comfortable and we had conversations about many things.

“In 20 years in studios up and down the country I’ve heard people saying things off camera that would make your hair curl.

“I do not see myself as sexist. Not in a million years. I have four daughters and I was brought up by a wonderful mother on her own. She’s 91 and is distraught about what happened.”

Three weeks after losing their jobs, Gray and Keys were taken on by talkSPORT and given a new daily show to co-present.

“I don’t think social media helps in any way," adds Gray.

"I don’t mind people’s opinions. In the past, when people criticised you, at least you’d see them. Now you don’t and it is unfair. But it’s what society does now. It’s not going to change. Twitter will not disappear.”

Despite this, Gray does not use Twitter and his weekday radio show does not take calls from the public.

“Not because we don’t want calls. Our show was designed to give content in other ways because every other show on the station takes calls.”

“It may be my time as a TV commentator, analyst, presenter is over. It may be that people who make these decisions have decided that’s gone now.”

“So be it. I had 20 of the most amazing years doing the best job in football.”

Gray's replacement at Sky is former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville.